“I’m sorry, Mr. Yun. I don’t know if I should tell you this,” Qin Lushu said in a low voice. “It’s just that I’m confused, and I don’t know who to talk to.”

Yun Wei paused for a moment, then pursed his lips. "Then tell me. It's alright, they'll take some time to prepare the ingredients. I'm honored that you trust me."

"However, you should not have too high hopes, because I myself am a novice in this area."

Qin Lushu nodded silently.

He couldn't tell his brother, his grandmaster, or even Master Sid about these things.

Yun Wei, who has little connection with Bili City but is a Bili person, is truly the most suitable person for him to confide in.

He took a deep breath, but his gaze became distant. "Do you remember at the beginning of the year, I stubbornly left Bili City with you all? You all took good care of me and didn't ask any questions."

Yun Wei responded, as he had a very deep impression of it.

At the time, he thought it was just the two of them having a tantrum.

“Actually, I confessed my feelings to Huo Mingchan the night before.” Qin Lushu gritted his teeth and continued, “He is much more realistic than me. He just told me that he must get married and have children, it is his responsibility.”

"The ridiculous thing is that I actually understood him very well—that is to say, but at that time, I also felt that he was a terrifying stranger."

"If nothing unexpected happened, he would have confessed his love to me next. But a second before he opened his mouth, I ran away. My mind was a mess, and even now, I still can't figure it out."

Yun Wei asked with some confusion, "Then what about you and Joseph..."

"Mr. Joseph's matter was a complete accident." Qin Lushu poured the wine he had taken out into a wine vessel, put it away, and stood up. "I have to admit, I was also quite awful. At the time, I accepted his invitation with the mindset of just playing around."

"Ah..." Yun Wei exclaimed softly.

He felt extremely embarrassed and began to regret his decision to listen to Qin Lushu's story.

After all, Joseph had helped him a lot and could be considered his half-apprentice.

His stance suddenly wavered, unsure of which side to take. But matters of the heart are inherently private, and his own position might not even matter.

“Your reaction is normal. Like Huo Mingchan, I’m terrible too.” Qin Lushu smiled, but there was bitterness in his eyes. “Then I felt that I didn’t deserve any sympathy at all.”

"I think I'm moved by him, even though we're not officially together yet."

"He tacitly refrained from breaking the ice, and so did I."

At this point, Yun Wei's light sphere spell ran out of time, so he quickly cast another one, illuminating the dark cellar once more. "I don't know how to evaluate you, Lü Shu. Perhaps you won't be happy to hear my evaluation."

Qin Lushu kicked his legs idly, then raised his eyebrows. "Speak freely."

Yun Wei thought for a moment and then said, "Anyway, matters of the heart cannot be measured by right and wrong. It's more like a cause and effect; those who take it lightly or don't have the right attitude will hardly have a good outcome."

Upon hearing this, the previously carefree young man immediately gave a bitter smile. "You're right, it has come true. I feel like this is my retribution. I'm very conflicted; I both look forward to Joseph's confession and fear it."

Once the other party makes a request, he must refuse out of reason and morality.

This relationship was destined to end without a trace.

He was already quite fortunate to have been able to travel across the ocean and see this vast world.

However, Yun Wei interrupted him, "That's not the crux of the matter. Lü Shu, what about yourself? Do you really like Joseph?"

This scene feels so familiar.

Just a few days ago, he asked Allen and Dilis almost the same question.

Then, he saw the same expression on Qin Lushu's face as the other two.

This is an expression that suggests a desire to admit something, but lacks supporting evidence.

Looking ahead and behind, full of concerns.

Yun Wei couldn't help but sigh, "Feelings are indeed something intangible, but actions are not. Saying 'I like you' isn't enough."

“I used to be like that too, always wanting to be in a safe place, a place where I could walk away at any time. I’m not a relationship guru. I’ve only been in love once in my life, and I loved someone to the point of life and death. I’m not qualified to give you any advice.”

“I used to think that the feeling of ‘liking’ was beautiful enough, even if it didn’t work out, even if we didn’t end up together.” He shook his head again as he said this.

He naively tried to dispel the smoky gray eyes that occupied his mind with such a foolish act.

He continued, "However, Isaac told me that he liked me and would try to be with me."

"Compared to my passive and submissive attitude, he is proactive and refuses to admit defeat. These are two completely opposite conclusions, but no matter how you look at it, each has its own logic."

At this point, Yun Wei looked at Qin Lushu and saw that the other party had furrowed his brows and looked like he was deep in thought.

He concluded gently, "I wonder if there is actually no standard answer? Perhaps everyone has their own answer to this matter."

"So enjoy your complicated feelings right now, that's the unique taste of youth."

Matters of the heart are truly too complicated.

He was simply hoping, wishfully, that all those who treated others with sincerity would not be let down.

In the end, Qin Lushu did not provide any answer.

According to the young man, the other party decided to go back and think things over carefully on his own.

"Let's go upstairs, Mr. Yun. Thank you so much for today." Qin Lushu regained his quirky and clever demeanor, as if the gloomy boy from before was just a fleeting ghost in the cellar.

"You're welcome. I wasn't really that helpful anyway," Yun Wei asked. "Speaking of which, haven't I seen Uncle Xie? Has he already returned to Bili City?"

"Yes, you know what's been going on over there lately, they're quite busy." At this point, Qin Lushu took out a scroll from the jade pendant at his waist. "By the way, I've recently been working on a book called 'The Chronicles of the Myriad Spirits,' which is about my observations and experiences on the Myriad Continents. If possible, could you please offer some corrections?"

Yun Wei hesitated and said, "In this respect, perhaps ten of me couldn't compare to you."

"You are too modest." Qin Lushu presented the exquisitely crafted bamboo slips with both hands. "This is the text. I used a bilingual version, but my standard language is not very good."

This is a groundbreaking achievement of great significance to our times.

Yun Wei immediately became interested. "Wait a minute, we can discuss this first—"

"Well, so you mean, are you planning to translate it word for word, or are you aiming for accuracy, fluency, and elegance?"

...

The barbecue smelled really good that night.

Especially when the cold wind swept through the door, the six of them sat happily around the table.

Because Master Sid prefers sweet wines, the wines in the cellar are all on the sweeter side. The wine served that evening was a rare Sauternes, the kind that sounds very expensive just from the name.

Yun Wei was the only one who did not drink alcohol.

He really couldn't hold his liquor, so Isaac made him a special bottle of pear juice.

At this moment, the Ice Sparrow Prince was enjoying the attentive feeding from his vassal. The vassal was cutting the roasted meat into neat little pieces and affectionately serving them to him on his plate with a knife and fork.

The charcoal used for grilling meat is specially made from apple and chestnut wood. Its black body burns with a bright red flame and has a fragrant aroma.

The meat from the far northern wilderness naturally contains just the right amount of fat between its fibers, and when heated, golden oil droplets appear.

They scrambled to land on the glowing embers below, making a series of sizzling sounds.

It was at this moment that the spices marinated on the surface of the food were also released, releasing a rich and complex aroma.

Spices are meant to remove fishy smells and cut through greasiness, but sweet foods don't have this drawback; they're simply the icing on the cake.

These fragrant, bitter, and spicy spices, originating from different corners of the continent, are blended together under the scorching heat of the fire, much like the different landscapes of the four seasons, and incorporated into this sumptuous feast.

"It's really good, it tastes sweet and is very chewy." Chewing on the crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside piece of meat, Yun Wei couldn't help but squint his eyes, looking quite satisfied. "Isa, did you put sugar in it when you marinated it?"

“How could that be? The water plants in Icebird Territory are very lush, and the meat is naturally of excellent quality.” Isaac chuckled as he continued feeding his lover beside him. “I used citrus fruits and lemons from the Southern Territory to marinate them separately. Theoretically speaking, there should be subtle differences in the taste of each bite.”

Yun Wei was stunned. He couldn't wait to pick up another piece of meat and savor it carefully.

The aroma of crispy, hot crust enveloped his taste buds. Beneath the unmistakably sweet flavor, there seemed to be a subtle difference, like basking in sunlight from different latitudes.

"You're so amazing, Issa!" he exclaimed, feeling incredibly happy.

Even without sipping the dark golden wine, he was still drunk.